Radial-draft gear.



C. F. MEYER. RADIAL DRAFT'GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY IB, I9I5.

' Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

.,.IIIII I IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILIIIII. I Un I II IKII vTo all/whom t 'may concern:

' CHESTER E. MEYER, or cLEvELAND, omo, AssIeNoE To THE NATIONAL MAEL'E'nierl- E CASTINGS COMPANY, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

RADIAL-DRAFT GEAR.

v Specification of Letters Patent. 'Patented Der), 19, 1li-916,..

Application filed May 18, 15515. Serial No.A 28,813.

Be i known that I, CHESTER a citizen of the vUnited States, residing vat Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, Chio, have invented new and useful Improvements in' Radial-Draft Gears, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of a radial draft gear embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan therecipartly in section; Fig. 3 lis a section on lines 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. d is section on lines 11e-1 of Fig. l. 7

My invention relates to radial draft gears and consists'in an arrangement in which the draft member is comprised oit' a pair of telescoping casings, one of which is adapted to receive a friction rigging preferably of the twin or parallel spring type,

My invention also relates to the construction and oo eration of the parts which I shall hereina ter describe and claim.

Referring to the drawings A indicates the coupler; B the outer casing of the draft member; C the inner casing of the draft member, and D the shock absorbing mecha,- nism, which I have shown in the form of a friction mechanism of the twin orparallel spring type.

The outer casing B has a pocket 2 for the coupler shank, at its forward end, separated from an intermediate chamber '3 forreception of thewinner casing, C, by a wall or tition il', and two rearwardly extending slotted arms 5. The partitionis operative a only in builng to provide a bearing for the forward end of the inner casing after the cushioning mechanism goes solid. The

slotted arms 5 of the casing B are designed for reception of the ends of a key or follower 6, which seats in slots 'Z in the arms 5 of, the outer casing B, and through which,

under draft, the stresses are transmitted from the outer casing to the shock absorbing mechanism D against' which the for ward side of the key 6 bears. l

The inner casing C Consists of the arms 8, 8, arranged one above another, and connected at their forward ends by Vertical side flanges 9, and by a forward wall 1,0 having an aperture'll therein to permit the coupler butt to bear directly against the shock absorbing mechanism defies bu'mg et F. Meret,

the rear end of the casing the arms 8 are joined by a cross piece 12, having anges 13, extending rearwardly therefrom, arranged 5o interft with forwardly extending bossesl 11i on the pivot casting 15, and thereby-put the pivot pin 16 in quadruple shear. Interi mediate of the ends 'of the casing Care preferably provided inwardly extending projections 17, against whichv the .shoulders 18 on the friction case will strike wl'ienthe friction" mechanism goes solid.

-In assembling the gear the sliockabsorbling mechanism D which I have shown in the form of ay friction case, intendedtomece'ivevv a twin spring friction mechanism, is placed in the lcasing C- from the side and then is skidded toward the' forward wall 10 of the easing C so that it will be held in place laterally' bythe flanges 9; The rear of the open end of the friction case is enlargedby the bosses 19, which bear upon the outer casing B `and keep the, rear endy of the friction case in lateral alinement by their'bearing against the inner faces of the arms 5 of the outer casing B. The outer casing B is next slid over the innercasing C, and .the ykey or folflower 6 is inserted through the slotsv 7 and brought into bear-inel between the frictioiial parts 20 of the mechanism D and the cross piece 12'of the inner casing C. The coupler A may then be inserted into'the' pocket 2, its butt passing through the opening in the inner casing, and bearing directlyiipon the forward face of friction case DLV-* The coupler is locked inplace bv the keysv 21, which -seat in slots 22 of the case B, Under draft 'the coupler pulls the outer 4ease B' forwardly, which carries with it the 4key 6,' which bears 4against the rear 'end 20 of the shock absorbing mechanism D. y The inner casing C holds the shock alisorbing case from .forward movement, and 'as the key Q is 1pulled forwardly by the outer casing it w1 compress the friction mechanism. ,y In boiling as'the outer casing B is secured to the coupler by the locking keys 21, it will ico move rearwardly with the coupler, and the coupler butt',- which is in Contact with the friction case, forces it rearwardly within the inner casing. The key 6 under boiling bears against the cross. piece 12, which 'in turny is in contact with the pivot casting and is, therefore, held stationary. When .the 511001K abaorbeg mechanism under heavyv buii', has reached the limit of its travel, and

has gone solid, the shoulders 18 of the friction ease strike against the projections 17 on the inner ease'C and relieve the friction elements from further stress. The partition -l in the outer casing will also simultaneously strike the forward wall 10 of the inner casing, so that a portion of the excess shock is transmitted directly to the pivot casting by the casings and the remainder is carried by the shock absorbing mechanism through the key 6 to the pivot casting 15.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention in the'use of such terms and expressions of excluding any mechanical equivalent for the features shown and described, but recognize that 'various structural modifications are possible Within the scope of the invention claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a radial draft gear, an outer casing having a coupler secured thereto and havingv a plurality of rearwardly extending arms, an inner casing having a. plurality of rear- Wardly extending arms connected With 'each other by a cross piece near their rear ends and having a point of pivotal attachment to a ear, a shock absorbing mechanism seated in the inner case, and a follower having a bearing on arms of the outer casing, the l cross piece and 'on the shock absorbing mechanism.

2. In a radial draft gear, a pair of telescoping casings, a bracket secured to the car having a plurality of forwardly-extending apertured bosses, one of said casings having a Aplurality of rearwardly-extending apertured projections, a pivot pin seated in the apertures in said bosses and projections, in combination with a container for shockabsorbing' mechanism seated in one of said casings, and a follower having a bearing between said last-mentioned casing and the shock-absorbing mechanism, said follower also being actuated during draft to compress the frictional mechanism against the irstmentioned casing.

3. In a radial draft gear, an outer casing` attached to a coupler, an inner casing pivotally attached to the car, a container for shock absorbing mechanism positioned Within the inner casing, coperating shoulders upon the outer casing and the inner casing, coperating projections upon said container and inner casing, said sets of shoulders and projections being broughtinto engagement at the end of the compressive movement of the shock absorbing mechanism under buliing movement of the gearand being adapted to relieve said shock absorbing mechanism from further stress.

CHESTER F. MEYER. 

